Candle in the Wind
by sadge
Summary: Jamie's story of Action and Adventure on the way to Westchester, New York
1. The Candle

Hey there, everybody. . .well this is my first attempt at an X-Men story. . .hope it turns out as well as I thought it did. . .

X-Men doesn't belong to me. . .what a shame. . .if it did I'd kill Bobby. . .and Gambit would have shown up in the last movie. . .and I don't own The Once and Future King although it is the greatest book ever written (by T. H. White in case anyone is interested). . .

That just about concludes it for anything I might possibly have to go on and on about.

*~*~*~*

The Candle

He was an only child. He had never really had friends. "Poor Jamie," his mama always said. His mother loved him. "Just Mama and Jamie," she'd say. No Father, no Brother, no Sister. "Just Mama and Jamie is fine," he'd say. But really Jamie wanted more.

Jamie and his mother had played together when he had been little. But not anymore. Jamie was too old to play games and Jamie's mom was too busy. Jamie wanted a brother, he'd even settle for a sister. Even when his Father had been alive, his mom hadn't wanted any more kids. "One of you is more than enough," she'd said and give his a great big hug. Jamie did not agree.

But Jamie could do nothing. When he still believed a stork brought little children to their mothers he had sent away for one by any means possible; notes, letters, he even tried e-mail, which got his mother really upset because he wasn't supposed to be using the computer. But no baby ever came.

When he got a little older he learned he was going about this the wrong way. So he tried to get his mother to meet men, any men. His teachers, passing men on the street, even older students from school. His mother didn't seem to like any of them. 

That was until she met Harold. He was a big man, taller than any Jamie had ever seen. And he had the biggest arms! They had to be as thick as trees. But Jamie didn't like him, and Harold didn't like Jamie. How convenient.

They got married, Jamie's mother and Harold. It was a small wedding. They had it at the city hall. Jamie's mother wasn't rich and neither was Harold. Just a couple of Jamie's mother's friends and Harold's big ogre-faced friends. None of Jaime's friends; he didn't have any.

It was after that that things started to turn funny. No brother's or sisters were forthcoming. Jamie was a bit frustrated. After all the work he had put into getting himself a sibling, still nothing. Jamie's mother still didn't have time for Jamie, only for Harold. Jamie couldn't quite remember when his father had been alive, but he knew it wasn't like this. He mom was supposed to make his lunch, kiss him good-bye every morning, and later she'd be waiting for him at school to pick him up and she'd ask him, "How was your day, honey?" He'd say, "Just great!"

But life with Harold was anything but "just great". Jamie had asked his mother once if he could get a ride over to the library to pick up a book. His mother had said no. Feeling a simple question as to the nature of this refusal was not out of line, he asked his mother "Why not?" But Harold had a different view on the matter. For the first time since he had gotten home from work at least three hours ago, Harold lifted himself slowly out of the reclining chair in front of the glow of the television. 

His voice thundered above the din of the TV. Very little could Jamie remember of that exact "talk" but what came next he would remember forever. Jamie opened his mouth, finding he could take no more of Harold's rant. Before he could think better of it, considering his comparative size, he yelled right back at Harold.

"Why should I have to listen to you? You're not my father and I hate you!"

Harold's mouth set in a firm line. He was no longer angry; he was livid. Jamie watched as if in slow motion as an arm as thick as a branch swung across his face. The tingling on his cheek from the slap was nothing compared to the shock of what had just happened. Someone had _hit_ him. His mother had never hit him, spanked him, barely even scolded him and here Harold was actually _slapping_ him! Jamie couldn't contain himself. He threw himself at Harold and beat at his barrel-chest with small fists. Harold went wild, letting himself go completely. Before he knew it he was being buried under a flurry of hits from that tree trunk of an arm.

And so it went on for days, weeks, months. It was as if that one dam had been broken and Harold could not hold back his rage at the smallest of Jamie's transgressions. If Jamie was late coming home from school, Harold got upset. If Jamie interrupted his TV show, Harold got angry. If Jamie even breathed, Harold went into a rage. That is, until IT happened.

Harold was not happy, again. Jamie had done something wrong, again. What news was there to that? But Jamie was sure something would go right, he could just feel it. 

He was going to run away. He had been planning it for weeks. Harold was just too much to live with. He would miss his mom, but in his mind, his mom was already gone. She had stopped being his mom the day Harold moved in. 

During Social Studies, Jamie studied maps. During Math, Jamie calculated the money he would need to eat and travel. During English, Jamie imagined life without Harold. And tonight, he had promised himself, tonight he would make it come true.

Jamie walked in his house, not afraid to let the door slam. After all, he thought, I'm going either way. He can get angry if he likes. He dropped his school books on the table and carried his empty book bag up to his room. Into his bag, he threw some clothes, some toothpaste, and a brush. Jamie supposed if he had ever had friends this is what packing for a sleepover would have been like. 

Before leaving his room, he sat down at his desk. It was too small for him now. He father had made it, hoping Jamie would like it when he got big enough to write, let alone Jamie wasn't even old enough even to sit up without help. His mama had never gotten him a bigger one, so he always hit his knees when he sat down to do homework. Jamie's hand rested on the surface, remembering all the fun he had had with his mother, back before Harold. For a moment Jamie faltered. For a moment Jamie considered staying here, in this life of pain and loneliness. For a moment Jamie would stay, just for his mother. But his mother was beyond him now. She would not care for Jamie, so Jamie must care for Jamie.

He reached a hand for a book, _The Once and Future King_. Hidden between its wonderful pages was not only Jamie's favorite story but all the money Jamie had saved, or snitched, for his escape. The book and money found itself in the bag, too, nestled between the cover of his clothes.

With a final look at the room that held the last eleven years of his life, Jamie walked out and shut the door behind him. 

*~*~*~*

Well. . .

I tried to write something I might continue. . .I figure if I put it up and somebody reads it, the worst that can happen is everyone hates it and I have a dud on my hands.

But. . .if someone – _anyone_ – out there shows _any_ interest in it please let me know cause I'd like to be inspired to continue. . .I don't think I can make it on my own. . .

And if anyone has actually read The Once and Future King and can tell me why they think it ended up in the movie, I'd like to hear it. . .

Until later. . .


	2. Bruce Sans Pite

Well. . .I'm back. . .and so is another chapter! Everything is going along nicely at the moment. . .I've got a semi-plan, which is a first for anything _I've_ ever written. . .plans and me don't mix well. . .but who knows. . .maybe a semi-plan is broad enough to work.

Ya know it's sad. During Physics I sit there and get completely bored and all this stuff comes to me and then I go home and by the time I get there. . .my head is empty. Completely and Utterly Empty. Perhaps it's time to invest in paper and pencil.

Once again I am here to not claim X-Men for all those who doubt. Rogue would have poofy hair if I had my way. . .Goth Rogue is not _too_ bad. . .but Bobby and Phoenix must die. Another note: Bruce sans Pité is a meanie-head knight who went around killing damsels and knocking knights off their horses without any sort of proper challenge. Perhaps you see the parallel.

That is all. Thank you. Have a nice day. Or night. Whichever.

*~*~*~*~*

Bruce Sans Pité

Jamie walked out and shut the door behind him. Only to come face to face with the ogre. Harold.

"Well, hello there James. How was your day?"

Jamie didn't respond. Any answer would be wrong.

"What was that? I'm sorry I didn't hear?" Harold had a somewhat twisted grin on his face. "Perhaps you'll have to speak up."

"I didn't say anything, Harold."

Jamie was right. Anything that came out of his mouth was just a reason to set Harold off.

"Don't talk to me like that, boy! I'm your father." Harold grabbed Jamie by the coat. "And where are you going?"

"I was going to take a walk, _Harold_." Jamie tried to look calm. It wouldn't be good to trip up the Harold-lie-detector. "If you would please excuse me, it is a nice day out."

Harold seemed to be about to open his mouth once more when Jamie's mother appeared. She walked over to her son and, with a far-away expression, smoothed down his hair, a small smile playing on her lips as if caught in memories. She turned to Harold, placing her hand on his, her light touch drawing away his attention. Harold's grip on Jamie's collar loosened before both forgot Jamie was standing next to them. Jamie took the chance to slither down the hall and out the door, this time carefully placing the door back so it wouldn't alert them to his missing presence. 

Jamie reached into his bag and pulled out a map. It was fresh and crisp, unlined and untravelled. Only a large X marked his home; Old Town, Maine. Eight states away lay freedom, eight states away and a very long bus ride. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Inside the map was a folded envelope bearing a Christmas card, now at least two years old. But what Jamie was concerned with was the address. His Grandmother, who he hadn't seen since his father's funeral nearly six years ago, had always seemed like a nice person. Perhaps once she heard his story, she'd let him stay with her. But anyone, anywhere had to be better than Harold.

Jamie looked over his shoulder one last time at the house. "It's now or never, Jamie," he said and took the first steps on the path to the rest of his life.

After walking over an hour to the bus station in the next town, Jamie finally reached safety. Harold could not reach him here. He was too clever for that oaf. He was Jack, scrambling down the beanstalk, while the giant stumbled about, stupidly searching for him in the castle. 

He checked the timetable at the station, just to be sure. Now that his plan was in action, he was incredibly nervous. And he had lost his own copy of the timetable somewhere. Oh, well. It didn't matter anymore. It was 5:06. In just ten minutes he would be on the bus. . .In just eight minutes he would be on the bus. . .In just – 

And then, like an ominous shadow, a familiar black car came around a bend in the road. The same car that sat everyday parked outside his house. 

__

Harold's car.

Jamie blanched. "No," he whispered "Not now! Not when I'm so _close_!"

But it was, undeniably, Harold's car. And it was, horrifyingly, Harold, a cruel grin spread on his face. Jamie knew he was in for it now. There was no way he could get on the bus and escape Harold. Jamie's eyes darted this way and that, looking desperately for an escape _anywhere_. He was trapped.

Harold walked evenly over to Jamie. He was holding a slip of paper. Jamie recognized it and knew at once where his copy of the timetable had gone. 

"Hello, James. Fancy meeting you here."

"H-hello, Harold." Jamie tried valiantly to get the tremble out of his voice. He stood up straight. If Harold was going to think Jamie came all this way just to go straight back home, he had another thing coming. He was not going without a fight.

"Boy, I am your father. I told you once and I told you twice, I don't want you talking to me like that." Already the cruel smile was fading from his face.

"Harold, you are not, never were, and never will be my father!" Jamie's temper exploded. Going home was not an option. Either he took the bus or Harold beat him until it didn't matter. He could not go home. Never again would he find the strength to run away. So when the blow came, Jamie took it. It sent him flying backwards, skidding the ground and scraping the skin away at his elbow. Harold kicked him in the stomach and Jamie curled up in agony before raising himself weakly to his knees. A cuff to the temple sent him back down. 

"Boy, you deserve every last bit of this, you know. Every last bit for making your mamma worry and for making me come out here to get you. Just wait until I get you home." Harold started to drag him up by the collar.

"I - " Jamie coughed. "I'm not going home."

Harold threw him back down with a disgusted look. "I don't like what you're trying to pull here, boy. You are going to abandon any silly ideas you have right now and get back in that car and we are going to go home! If I hear another peep out of you until we get there you will be sorry God gave you a voice! I'm already sorry he gave you one!"

Jamie stood up and looked into his eyes, challenging Harold. "I am not getting in the car. I am not going home. I am leaving and never, _ever_ coming back!"

Harold predictably rose to the challenge. Slowly, he had backed Jamie into a corner, against a wall, and far from the public eye. Suddenly Jamie wasn't too sure about his policy of Pennsylvania or Bust. An almost fanatic gleam came into Harold's eyes as two great, thick hands rose up menacingly and clamped around Jamie's thin throat. With each passing moment, they squeezed tighter and tighter while Jamie ran slowly out of breath. He uselessly clawed at the thick arms. He swatted at the face that smiled at his death.

He thought about his mother, how he had left her at the mercy of Harold. There would be no one left to be the buffer between Harold and her; no more Jamie Punching Bag. These same gigantic hands could one day close around her neck and Jamie had let it all happen. Spots began to dance about his vision. He became dizzy and weak when Harold shook him. He fell limp.

Harold threw his lifeless body against the wall. Jamie felt a horrible thud as his head connected with the brick wall behind him and the incredible relief as he sank to the floor. Harold thought he was dead. Harold would not leave he alone for long. 

Slowly, Jamie opened one eye and then the other. Everything hurt his head. But instead of the fist or foot he expected to greet him, he saw a frightened Harold backing away slowly. Jamie didn't understand. There were no cops here, no sirens. Why did Harold seem so afraid then?

Jamie's head lolled to one side. His vision was fuzzy but he could make out a shape – or was it two? – lying against the wall with him. He peered closer and found himself staring into his own face. Two of his own faces. He blinked and scrunched his face up in confusion before groaning in pain. The two people looked just as confused as he was. 

Jamie looked again at Harold only to find him gone. A quick peek at his watch verified that the bus was gone too.

"Aww, man." Jamie gave a disappointed sigh and struggled to his knees. He turned to the two people and gave them a weak smile. 

"Hi, I'm Jamie Madrox. Who are you?"

They paused at his question, even more bewildered. Finally one of them answered, "I'm Jamie Madrox, too."

*~*~*~*~*

That's it for now. . .Hope you people out there who actually took the time to read this - especially those who reviewed it - know how grateful I am.

Like I said, I don't think I could make it on my own.

And everyone watch Evolution for me cause I don't get that channel anymore. . .*sob*. . .


	3. Maid Marian

Hi there, everybody! It seems that people out there like my story – weird ain't it? – so I shall make the extreme sacrifice to devote my time to this story and continue. What do mean I'm addicted to reviews?!? That is _sooo_ not true!

Leave me alone. . .nyaa!

And a special hello to elf doll Dolly who loves Jamie. You're welcome!

It's happy, happy disclaimer time! If I owned X-Men. . .hmm. . .well as usual Bobby would die. . .Phoenix would die. . .Rogue would have puffy hair. . .and Gambit would have a _real_ Creole accent instead of a southern lilt.

And the passage from The Once and Future King is from pg 107 which I just copied straight from the book. Please don't feed me to the amoebas!!! 

That is all. Thank you.

*~*~*~*~*

Maid Marian

__

The boys had felt disgruntled at first, at being put in a woman's band. They would have preferred to have gone with Robin, and thought that being put under Marian was like being trusted to a governess. They soon found their mistake. She had objected to their coming, but, now that their coming was ordered, she accepted them as companions. It was not easy to be a companion of hers. In the first place, it was impossible to keep up with her unless she waited for them – she could move on all fours or even wriggle like a snake almost as quickly as they could walk – and in second place she was an accomplished soldier, which they were not. She was a true Weyve – except for her long hair, which most of the female outlaws of those days used to clip. One of the bits of advice which she gave them before talking had to be stopped was this: Aim high when you shoot in battle, rather than low. A low arrow hits the ground, a high one may kill in the second rank.

Jamie looked up from his book and glanced at his watch. It was nearly seven o' clock. The next bus would be here in just a minute. 

Slowly opening the door to the boys bathroom in which he had hidden himself, Jamie peered out into the station. There was no one there. It was quite dark.

He crept out, clutching his bag and book. _Harold's gone…He's really gone._

It had been an hour and a half since Harold had left; since – 

__

I can't say it. It was so strange. 

Jamie had been face to face with himself. Face to face to face, physically. And Jamie had no doubts in his mind it was himself he saw; he had noted every detail about the two figures that had sat next to him. Every mark, every bleeding cut, every scar had a parallel on his own body. 

Confused, Jamie had reached out to touch one of their faces, dreading that it was real and yet hoping he was not hallucinating from a concussion. What happened he still could not explain. 

The instant his fingers touched the skin on one cheek, Jamie felt a strong pull towards his other self. It pitched him forward and he collided into one of them. It disappeared. Jamie fell through the empty space only to land on the remaining one. It too vanished, leaving Jamie all alone in a dark corner of a bus station, bleeding from cuts on knees and elbows and cheeks, and feeling very bewildered.

Perhaps once he got to Philadelphia he should have a visit to the doctor. It was not safe to let any damage Harold's burly arms inflicted go for long. He had gone too far this time. If he wasn't careful, Harold could still win.

The bus' headlights cut through the dark. With a hiss the doors opened and tired-looking people stumbled off, legs rubbery from disuse. Jamie slowly came forward, hoping no one from Old Town would be coming off. When the path was clear he dashed onto the bus and took a seat next to a window. All he could see outside was black. It was almost like floating in space. It was cool and peaceful and he was alone. He took out his book again.

__

"If I am made to get married," thought the Wart, who had doubts on the subject, "I will marry a girl like this: a kind of golden vixen."

It was only a few moments later when a woman's voice floated over to him. 

"Is the seat next to you taken?"

It was high and soft; a voice that faded into the surroundings. Jamie looked up. The woman glanced at the space next to him.

"You can sit here if you like," he said. 

Jamie returned to his book while she placed her belongings in the above-head rack. When she moved to sit down, her motions were silent and unnoticeable.

When sitting, Jamie found her incredibly on edge. At every movement her eyes twitched this way and that. She jumped at every noise. After a remarkably short amount of time, Jamie could no longer stand it. With a deep sigh, he put down his book and turned to face the woman.

"Hello."

She gave him a small, preoccupied smile and an almost inaudible hello. Her eyes shot behind to the baby that started howling in the rear.

"My name is Jamie. I'm headed to Philadelphia. How about you?"

"New York." She still hadn't turned back to look at him.

"The city or the state?" Jamie asked in hopes of starting a conversation and perhaps calming her down.

"State." 

Jamie saw this exchange was going nowhere fast. _This is going to be a very long ride_.

The engines started with a deep rumble and the bus rolled forward onto the road.

By ten o' clock, they passed Augusta. Jamie had never been so far from home. The farthest he could ever remember travelling was to Bangor for an aunt's wedding. That had been a forty-five minute drive. This was three hours.

And for the entire three hours, the lady had not stopped fidgeting. Jamie resolved himself to staring out the window so as to not be irked by her incessant moving. Instead, he watched the road signs pass, knowing with each mile, he was _that_ much further from Harold. 

The bus hit a pot hole and Jamie hit his head against the window. For a moment he saw double. Then he blinked and it cleared.

__

Maybe I did_ hit my head too hard._

"Jamie." 

Jamie whipped around in surprise. It was the woman.

"How did you know my name?" 

"You told me, when I sat down."

"Oh…Yeah." _Headaches, double vision, forgetting things_._ Not good signs, Jamie_.

"I was wondering where you were going all by yourself. It's not often you see little boys travelling this far alone."

"I'm visiting my grandma. She lives in Philadelphia." _The strange thing is, _Jamie noticed, _She's like a completely different person. _It was true. In the past few minutes since Jamie had last turned to look out the window, she had become placid and calm. She was no longer jumping at everything, choosing instead to relax in her seat. Her eyes were fixed intently on Jamie. She didn't even blink when someone laughed abruptly across the aisle.

"And your parents don't worry about you?"

"Naw. My parents don't worry too much about me. They got so excited when I decided to take this trip." _Well, it's sorta the truth. Harold got so excited, he nearly killed me._ "Where are you going in New York?"

"Just some place a little north of the city. Small town. I have a couple of friends there that called me up and asked me to come."

"Have you ever been to New York before?"

"I used to live there. Worked in a school and dealt with a lot kids. They started to drive me insane." Her lips turned up slightly at something she remembered. She turned again to Jamie. "Let me guess. Forth grade?"

"Fifth. I'm a bit small for my age."

"Young kids were never my specialty. Teenagers on the other hand…I've seen enough of them." She sunk once more into her memories. 

With a blink she returned to the present.

"I'm sorry, Jamie. Sometimes I get carried away." She offered her hand to Jamie. "I don't believe I told you my name. I'm Raven."

Jamie shook her hand. "Hi, Raven. Nice to meet you."

*~*~*~*~*

La! There goes another chapter! 

Well I go to take a practice Regents and run off to karate! Fun and games until I get frustrated and stab someone in the eye with a number two pencil. . .

I harbor no violent natures. . .I swear. . .


	4. The Knights

Ta-Da! After all those nice things you people said, how could I do anything but write more. Ignore the fact that over the weekend I rediscovered the fun of reading _real_ books and strayed from my computer.

Writing this chapter was a bit of a task. . .I had to take it outside and beat it a couple of times before it would do what I wanted. . .Then it bit me and I had to go to the hospital to make sure I didn't have Mad-Plot-Disease. . .my doctor assured be that I was in no danger of any such thing from this story. . .It has no plot to speak of.

So I set out to undertake the momentous task of deciding where (other than the loony-bin) I was headed. It was not pretty. I avoided my computer like the plague. But I have faced it once more for the sake of reviews – I mean. . .you! For the sake of all you. . .and for the reviews.

Oh shut up little voice that gives away all my plans. . .you got me kicked out of World Domination School. . .the least you could do is just be quiet every now and then. . .

Oh well. . .But that story is done with now. It is happy disclaimer time. If I owned X-Men Evolution. . .Rogue would have poofy hair, Bobby would die, Phoenix would die, Gambit would have the proper accent. . .and Kurt would be a monk. That's it for now.

*~*~*~*~*

The Knights

Jamie would have gladly stayed up the entire night talking to his newfound friend, but around one o' clock in the morning, his eyelids felt like ten pound weights and his head kept nodding onto his chest. It was then that Raven declared it past his bedtime.

As Jamie slept, the bus travelled on through the states. Jamie did not see the moon over Portland, Maine; or the stars shining above Concord, New Hampshire. He _did_ notice, though, when the bus came to an abrupt and blaring halt in the middle of the interstate somewhere near Albany for no apparent reason. It was the driver's excessive use of the horn which woke Jamie from his sleep.

Outside the window, Jamie's heavy eyes could see no cars. There was only corn fields and some farmers standing by the roadside. There was no accident; no blocked road. _What on earth is going on?_

"Raven?" he asked blearily. 

She barely looked at him. She was acting shifty again.

"Raven, why did we stop?" Jamie tried again.

"I don't know." She looked slightly nervous.

Jamie watched her, trying to read what was bothering her. _What made her act like this?_

"Jamie, don't worry. Just go back to sleep." She gave him a reassuring smile. "Everything's fine."

The smile did very little to quell Jamie's doubts. _She doesn't seem sure at all. In fact, I don't think she believes one word of what she just said._ Jamie resigned himself to not getting the answer. _Adults…_

Any attempts at getting an explanation were cut short by a blast of red light exploding into the side of the bus. The vehicle tumbled on its side and the impact threw all the passengers out of their seats. Jamie was fortunately leaning against the window headed towards the ground already and didn't fall far. It was Raven, and everyone else in his row who fell on him, that inflicted any damage. In the moment before they collided with him, Jamie reached up to protect his head, already too battered for his preference.

Confusion reigned in the bus. The baby had started bawling again from the rear and several small children were crying near him. People cried out for their companions that had been separated from them. Jamie himself was gasping for breath under the weight of the fallen people.

"Raven!" he cried. She didn't answer. Instead she reached over to place a single finger on his mouth.

"Quiet, Jamie." She was beyond fidgety. Her eyes were as wide as lamps and had taken on a slightly yellow tinge in the nighttime lights of the bus. She was watching intently the front of the bus as if expecting something. Jamie looked beside at the people laying near him.

He nearly choked. They were back. His other selves. Jamie began to panic. _Maybe getting hit twice in the head is really bad for a person._

"Raven!" he whispered, this time dread reaching his voice. He needed her to tell him if they were real. He needed to see if they really were just figments of his delusional mind. She began to turn her head, worried by his fright but looked away again at an abrupt shout in the front. 

"Mutants!" a man cried in a high, frightened voice. Jamie was bewildered. _Mutants? What are they?_ _Are they like those monsters in the scary movies with two heads and six arms?_ People started talking anxiously and some gave surprised gasps. The babbling got louder and louder until the word was passed back and forth from one end of the bus to the other like waves rolling through the crowd.

A loud bang in the front of the bus signaled the boarding of the mutants. A blue beast fell through the roof and landed in the front aisle, followed by a young girl of about fifteen who peered out from behind the beast's shoulder.

By that point, the already tense atmosphere snapped. People throughout the bus cried, screamed, shrieked, trying to escape their prison and the mutants. The front aisles were clogged with humans stumbling around the fallen.

Raven knew it was time for her to get out. Time to leave before the things got worse; if they could even _get_ any worse. She grabbed Jamie's arm and tugged him off the ground. "Come on, Jamie. We need to leave, _now_."

"But, Raven - "

"Hush!"

Jamie looked back at his copies. Their were three of them this time. They were lifting each other off the floor and dusting the dirt off their clothes. Two were holding on to each other for balance while they put on a shoe that had fallen off. Jamie realized that his own shoe was lying on the ground by their feet. 

As Raven pulled him to the rear exit of the bus, Jamie yanked the arm of one of them and pulled the copy with him. That copy, in turn, was still holding on to the other copy and both were dragged along. The third copy, who was sitting on the ground putting his shoe on, glanced up and gave a forlorn look to the receding figures of Raven, Jamie, Jamie, and Jamie. He had been left behind. The third copy sighed at his misfortune of being abandoned.

In the rear, Raven kicked the exit door, sending it soaring backwards into the road. Jamie and his copies stared in awe, wondering how such a small and jittery woman could possess such strength. She pulled his arm through the doorframe and into a battle.

Raven stood in the protection of the bus, peering around the corner at the running figures in the middle of the road. One flashed by with a flourish of red hair, concentrating intently on her quarry who jumped, toad-like, onto the top of the bus. Without warning, the ground began to shake as if caught in an earthquake, spitting up chunks of rock. Too quick for his eyes to see, a flash of silver sped past, leaving an afterimage of a running boy as if frozen in time. Jamie and his copies watched in astonishment. Jamie couldn't tell if he really _was_ suffering from hallucinations.

"Wow," a copy next to him said.

"Yeah…" the second one added.

"Am I dreaming?" Jamie asked him.

"I don't know," the other said. "Are we?" 

Jamie stared into eyes that mirrored exactly his confusion, amazement, and worry. "Who are you?" he asked.

"We're you."

"You're us."

"Oh." Jamie never felt so lost.

"Other than that, I don't know." The first one gave him a sympathetic smile.

The second one gave him a shrug. "If you don't know how are we supposed to know?"

Jamie was pondering how to answer that question when Raven called to him again. He scooted over to her side so he could hear her over the cries and battle noises. "Jamie, you can't stay here. It's dangerous with these people all around. Run into the fields as fast and as far as you can go. Don't stop until you reach the trees. If you see anyone, just keep running. I'll be right behind you, I promise."

"Raven, what's wrong? Why are we running? Is it the mutants?"

She didn't answer but instead pushed him off the road just in time to save him from a stray laser blast, like the one that had hit the bus. He tumbled into a ditch, his multiples running down the hill after him. Another one had sprung up when he fell.

"Well," he started. "I guess we only have one choice." The multiples nodded in resigned agreement.

"Into the wild," the newest copy added glumly.

Jamie looked back to search for Raven. All he could see was the retreating shape of a woman running into the midst of the fight, her skin, from head to toe, a deep blue. 

"Raven!" he cried, hoping that wherever she was, Raven would show herself. The blue woman hesitated and turned at the name, but she was not Raven. 

In despair for Raven, Jamie followed her wishes and ran, his multiples trailing behind.

*~*~*~*~*

There ya go. Another chapter for you.

Elf doll Dolly, thank you for the cookie. It was good, but it tasted a bit like computer screen. Perhaps next time, I should not try to eat the cookie right off the glass. . .

And to Ellen, I have nothing against Bobby. . .in _most_ cases. . .it's just that in X-2 I was ready to kill him. And Rogue too for that matter. . .Ya see, Bobby takes the place of my other favorite mutant, Gambit, in the movie. Anyone who is placed in that position would receive the same treatment. Did you see the movie? Cause maybe you know what I'm talking about. . .

In case anyone hasn't got it _yet_, the chapter titles are somewhat relevant to the chapters. They are also related to The Once and Future King. (Remember that book I was mentioning? Yeah well it comes back to haunt you). If you don't care then just leave now cause I'm gonna tell you all about it.

Ahem. . .The Candle is from the name of one of the "books" called The Candle in the Wind. . .also the name of this story. Think of a candle. . .then put the candle in a hurricane. . .That's the idea.

Bruce Sans Pité was a meanie knight. "He's a real swine. He goes murdering maidens – and, as soon as a real knight turns up to rescue them, he gallops off for all he is worth. He breeds special fast horses do that nobody can catch him, and he stabs people in the back. He's a marauder." That is how he is described in a language that anyone could understand. Sir Thomas Malory, author of Le Morte D'Arthur, says more or less the same thing just add in a few 'passing fair's and 'wit ye well's. 

Maid Marian is, as perhaps some of you know, Robin Wood's wife. In The Once and Future King, she joined their band and little King Arthur, while doing a favor for Robin, happened to meet her. The description of her was in chapter 3 that I stole directly from the book. Arthur and Jamie were probably the same age at the time. . .I didn't even think of that. . .

The Knights comes from another adventure little Arthur had. Merlin, his tutor, had sent him into the woods to watch Sir Grummore and King Pellinore have a little bout. 

I'm only telling you cause I spent a lot of time thinking up parallels. . .

Don't call me a loser. . .I already know that. . .


	5. The Questing Beast

Hehehe. . .so I took the summer off. . .I'm entitled right? I was working. . .and still am so don't expect too much from me. . .junior year ya know. . .some people think this is the one I should pay attention to. . .

But I made this effort!!! I put aside math and english and environmental and american (but then again I always do) and band – wait band? No not band – for this. I got as much enjoyment out of it as you might. It's turning out to have a better plot then I thought it might turn out to be. But then again, I only know about half a chapter ahead of everyone else. You think I write these things in advance? Ho ho ho!!! (that was a jolly laugh. . .) But seriously, I'm making an effort again to work on this, cause it's the only thing I'm writing right now. . .

So!!! It's time for the traditional disclaimer!!! If I owned X-Men Evolution. . .Rouge would have poofy hair (as well as Ms. Marvel powers). In an effort to be nice Bobby wouldn't die. . .just have an attitude adjustment. Gambit would be the real Gambit and have the accent to go with it, Kurt would stop this elf obsession and be the monk we know he is inside, Phoenix would die a horrible death (as well as Jean herself), and - as final icing on the already too large cake – Mystique would look more like the movie. . .She was pretty cool looking in the movie. 

*******************************

The Questing Beast

Jamie ran and ran, hardly looking behind him, afraid of what he might see, afraid of who he wouldn't see. He was deep into the woods before his pace slowed to a walk. All four of them, the multiples and Jamie, breathed heavily after running all that distance. None would meet the other's eyes; all were too saddened by the events of the night. Finally Jamie spoke up.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm tired. There's no one here and never was anyone following us. I'm laying down right here and sleeping until it's morning."

The other three gave weary nods and collapsed where they stood. Jamie leaned his back against a tree and before he could say "good-night" he was asleep.

When he woke he was alone. It was morning and the birds sang their hearts out. Jamie sullenly gave them a horrible look, thinking equally horrible thoughts directed at them. Everything ached after last night.

Last night. Last night was a blur. There were bright lights and lots of action. Now it was morning, and Jamie had some serious thinking to do. Where should he go from here? Raven only told him to go so far as the trees and he was well past that now. Maybe she was waiting for him there.

Jamie stood up and dusted off his pants, removing the pine needles and dirt that clung to him. If it hadn't been for the strange location he had been in when he woke up he would have thought he imagined the whole thing. But things had seemed real enough at the time, like the multiples. Was he really seeing them, or was he only crazy?

Grabbing his bag, he set off in search of Raven. 

*****

He reached the corn field where he had parted from Raven only ten minutes later. There was no sign of her, but Jamie still held hope she was waiting somewhere for him. He grabbed and ear of corn off the stalk, thinking it might be good for a breakfast, since he was stranded in the middle of New York. By the road stood the empty shell of the bus. A few people had remained, crawling about it like insects around the carcass of some dead beast. Those who had feared the mutants fled in the night. 

Jamie looked at each one of them, hoping Raven was hiding amongst them and had just been waiting for him to come to her. But she was not there. He looked down both sides of the road, guessing the way to the nearest town. There was nothing in sight, apart from the corn fields and barns. The road was desolate.

"If your looking to go the way they all did, you wanna head down thata way." Jamie turned to see a man leaning against the upturned bus. He had a vicious cut on his shin; the blood was still leaking down his leg. 

"Thank you," he replied, nervously watching the man, as if to judge his truthfulness by sight. He looked reliable enough, and after all, what did Jamie have to lose by taking his advice? Any direction was better than staying here.

"They all ran after them muties showed up," the man continued. "Havin' a regular old war, they were. Damn freaks." A chill went down Jamie's spine. There was something in the way he spoke that scared Jamie. Who were these mutants that everyone was cursing? Up in Old Town, no one ever mentioned them. Maybe they were some sort of New York thing.

Jamie cleared his throat nervously. "W-What are the mutants?" His voice was so tiny now, trying not to upset the man, but curious enough to overcome some of his fear.

"The Muties? Where you been comin' from, the moon?" He gave a snort. "They's a bunch of freaks of nature who got lots of 'gifts' as they call 'em. Really, they just were born with guns strapped right onto 'em. You seen what they did here; it's what they always do. They come and blow stuff up and hurt us regular, _normal_ humans and disappear before anyone can get their justice on them." The man's face was grim and dark. 

Jamie was worried about these freaks. What could stop them? It wasn't right that they could do this and get away with it. Look at this man standing here, his leg bleeding and nothing to fix it with, just because some muties got a bit exited last night. It made him mad too. He wouldn't stand for it.

Deciding that it was time to get out of here, this awful place the mutants had destroyed, Jamie called out, "Thanks." Turning towards the town Jamie told the man "I'm going to try my luck heading that way," pointing to the way the man had said the passengers had gone. 

"Good luck." The man gave him a careful look. "Watch out for those X-Men if you see 'em. They're the worst."

And so, with an ominous cloud over his back, Jamie set off for town.

*****

It turns out, the dark cloud wasn't just a figure of speech. By ten in the morning it was pouring and Jamie had never remembered being so miserable. He had reached the town but there was no one around. In fact, it looked deserted. But Jamie supposed that was due to the rain. If he had a choice, he would have preferred to be inside, perhaps taking a nap with about five blankets wrapped around him.

He stepped in a puddle of mud; wet, cold mud that soaked his shoe all the way through. He groaned, feeling more than a bit disheartened.

How would he ever find Raven? She could have gone anywhere! She could be back in the forest looking for him while he was here looking for her. It really was hopeless. He found a wall that was covered by a falling down awning. It kept the rain off, which was what Jamie most cared about now. Next to him was a window, which he glanced into.

Inside was a woman reclining in a chair. Her back was towards him and he could only see her long red hair. Around her were people dressed in the strangest clothes Jamie had ever seen. _Really, who wears spandex?_

The woman turned and a jolt passed through Jamie. _She was blue!_ Not a pale, deathly cold blue, but a deep blue from her head to her toes. _Mutants. The man lied; there are mutants here._ Jamie could only think one thing. He had to run, and run fast.

His feet slipped on the mud and he fell, giving a loud shout of shock. Sure that the mutants would have heard, Jamie dashed away, faster than he ever remembered running. But they were after him. He heard them chasing him through the rain. How they got out so fast, Jamie had not idea, but they were behind him. He glanced over his shoulder but through the rain all he saw was three figures chasing him. How could he ever face three of them? They blew things up and made the ground spit rocks! There was no way he would escape if they caught him.

They were just behind him now, each step reverberating in his head. _Just a bit closer and they'll have me…I can't let them get me…_Jamie would not go down without a fight. A hand glanced against his shoulder and Jamie felt the strange sensation of being pulled against his will backwards. It was almost as if…as if he was drawn to the person, like his multiples.

Jamie stopped dead in his tracks and the remaining two figures halted their progress as well. They were indeed the multiples, gasping for air just as he was. 

"Jamie." Pant, pant. "Why did you run from us?"

Jamie was embarrassed. "I thought you were the mutants."

"Why run from them either?" the other asked. 

"Yeah," the first added. "It's not like we even know anything about them."

"They might not be as bad as the guy said."

Jamie was red in the face, feeling shameful for his hasty actions. "It's not like he was that far from the truth! You saw what they did to the bus! If they're so friendly then why were all those people hurt? If they're just great guys then why am I traipsing around Nowheresville, New York in the rain, searching for Raven? Nice people don't have private wars on highways."

The other two were silent. Jamie felt bad for exploding at them like that. "Sorry," he said.

"It's ok."

"We understand."

And Jamie knew it was the truth. They were part of him. Everything they said was something he knew deep inside. He was just upset with himself, literally.

*****

The rain let up after a while and Jamie found a semi-dry alleyway to stay in until the weather cleared completely. The two multiples crawled into the dry space with him. Not for the first time he found himself wanting to know if they were just hallucinations of a damaged brain. 

"Are you real?" he blurted out. He slapped his hands over his mouth, wishing he hadn't thought out loud.

"We don't know, Jamie. You don't know, so how should we know?"

"Even if the answers was hiding somewhere in our mind, as long as you don't know, neither do we."

Jamie sighed, resigned to not getting a helpful answer. "Do you suppose I knocked my head too hard?"

"I hope not. That would mean I don't exist."

"Remember that time we fell off the bike and smacked our head on the concrete?" the other Jamie asked hopefully.

Jamie nodded, wincing at the memory.

"Well that fall was, like, ten times harder than Harold threw us against the wall. We must be ok." The smile he gave seemed too hopeful. 

The first Jamie seemed stuck on his own idea. "Yeah, and I think, therefore I am."

Jamie was sure he read that somewhere. He was too distracted to remember. "I hope both of you are right."

"We do to."

Jamie yawned wide. The rain and excitement had made him tired. As the last of the rain disappeared, Jamie fell asleep curled next to his multiples. 

*****

His dreams were strange. They seemed so vivid, almost too real. He had never dreamed anything like it. 

The mutants were in it. They circled him, bearing down on him; coming ever closer and closer. He wanted to burst out. Their silence was overpowering.

Then one spoke. "Jamie," it said. 

Jamie screamed.

*************************

Well there it is. . .Hope it pleased. . .thanks to all my reviewers, especially the cookie giving ones. I'll be hearing from you all. . .RIGHT?!?! After devoting my homework time to you, the least you can do is write me a little bitty note. . .for example:

Dear Sadge,

Thank you for writing this (chapter)/(thing)/(holy work). I shall (show my appreciation)/(devote my life to you)/(praise your greatness) by sending this (review)/(pointless message as I didn't read it anyway)/(prayer to Your Holiness). I have read (all your chapters)/(none of your chapters but it sounds cool)/(chapter 3 verse 40) and would like you to (write more)/(trick us into _thinking_ you wrote more)/(write it dammit)! 

Your (reader)/(glance-at-work-er)/(devoted subject),

_______________

(your name here)


	6. The Ants

Well, back again…only like three months later than my last deadline. More up in a week, my foot. So I'm a horrible procrastinator, what do you want from me? I did write more like I promised…

Happy, happy disclaimer time! 

If I owned X-Men Evolution: Rogue would be super-south rather than super-goth (complete with her amazing flying and invincibility power), Bobby would not be such a rotten person (I made him mean in my other story too…I'm seeing a trend…), Gambit would get the accent right (otherwise he's pretty good), Phoenix would drop dead and land on Kurt, thus knocking some sense back into his head and causing him to devote his life to a monastery rather than Santa, Mystique would be more Mystique-y (and by that I mean movie-y), and…Spike would impale himself accidentally on his own sharp edges cause he's just getting annoying now.

There, this chapter's disclaimer is complete.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Ants

__

The mutants were there. They circled him, bearing down on him; coming ever closer and closer. He wanted to burst out. Their silence was overpowering. Then one spoke. "Jamie," it said.

Jamie ran once the words left the man's mouth, ducking under an arm and fleeing through a gap in the circle. He had to get out! They would kill him! Look at what they did to the bus!

But the Mutants were everywhere and the room had no doors. In his dream-like state, Jamie sunk to the floor in defeat, seeing their shadows swarm over him. 

"Jamie, why do you run?" the voice asked.

"Go away!" he responded weakly. "Please, go away."

In the light of a window, Jamie could see where the voice had come from. A man sat in a chair next to where Jamie had fallen, hand clasped together in his lap. There was an expression of complete calm on his face, as if Jamie was no cause for concern to him; as if Jamie was completely under control. Well he'd show them!

Jamie rose to his feet and faced the man. I'll show you, killers! _With a swing of his fist, Jamie attempted to set the man off his guard._

His futile attempt at rebellion was stopped mid-air, as if some unseen hand held him back. His has was stuck inches from the man's head. No one touched him.

Killers, Jamie? Why do you say that_? _

A voice was there in his head, trying to force its way inside his mind. He clutched his skull, shaking it from side to side as if to rid himself of the intrusive presence. No!Stay out! Go away!_ And with all the strength Jamie had left, he pushed the voice out._

He woke up in the alleyway. Next to him were the two multiples. The rain had stopped completely, the stars shone brightly above, and faintly Jamie could hear the sounds of crickets playing their music. Everything was peaceful - deceptively peaceful.

Jamie knew that only a few blocks away he had seen the killers, those _mutants_. Perhaps it was their nearness that caused his dream, or the day's events. Both were likely.

Jamie rested his head against the brick wall of the alley. Maybe tomorrow would bring a better day and better luck. _Tomorrow could also spell disaster_, he thought pessimistically. _Tomorrow the Mutants could find me. Then my nightmares would be real._ He shivered, thinking about their voices in his head and their shadows circling him. It was terrifying to think about, especially in the dead of night not very far from their lodging. Jamie took a few calming breaths, trying to wipe all thoughts of mutants from his mind.

Jamie's attempt at calm apparently worked. His head dipped forward on his chest and before he could even say "multiples", he was asleep. He woke later that day not having had any other unsettling dreams, or even thinking a single thought about the mutants.

*~*~*~*~*

Along with the disturbing dreams, his multiples seemed to have disappeared with the morning light. Still unable to determine whether or not they even existed, Jamie wondered whether he should wait for them to appear. Deciding that they usually were gone when he awoke anyway, he left the safety of his alley and braved the light of day.

Where the town the night before had been abandoned, today it was a bustling center of life. Cars drove past on the road Jamie had strayed upon last night in his dazed state. People pushed past him on busy sidewalks as soon as he stepped out from the alley. _Where did all these people come from?_ Jamie wondered. 

While he was standing stricken with awe on the sidewalk, a flash of a brightly colored pattern caught his eye through the crowd. He snapped his head to inspect it but was too late to see the wearer. He faintly remembered seeing the blue flowers before somewhere. Somewhere important…Of course! Raven had been wearing a dress just like that!

Pushing his way through the mess of people, Jamie wound his way to where he had seen the figure in the dress. Maybe coming to this town wasn't a loss after all! He caught a glimpse of light brown hair and followed it, ducking under people's arms and skirting around their forms dangerously.

"Raven!" he called out. "Raven, wait up!" The figure stopped. Slowly it turned, perhaps expecting something more sinister than a simple eleven year old. But as soon as it caught sight of its hailer, its face relaxed into the epitome of relief.

"Jamie." Jamie ran up to Raven and grabbed her arm, as if to assure himself that _she_ was real, even if his multiples were not. "I've been searching for you all over! I lost you after the mutants showed up."

"I know! I've been looking for you too! I even walked all the way here and almost got caught by the _X-Men_." Jamie wasn't sure if she knew who the X-Men were – he didn't really know either – but it implied he had shown bravery in the face of something, and hopefully that would impress Raven.

"Really? How did you escape?" Jamie was sure that was true interest in her eyes; a thing he had not seen in his home for a long while. It felt nice to be showered with attention, and Jamie reveled in the feeling.

So, taking his chances when he could, Jamie told in long (and partially fictional) detail the elements of his escape.

*~*~*~*~*

Raven had listened with rapt attention to Jamie's story. After he had finished, she invited him to return with her to her hotel room. Having no other place to go, Jamie accepted. 

__

After all, he reasoned,_ She had helped me escape from the mutants and had been looking for me this whole time. I think I can trust her, and it beats waiting in the alleyways for the X-Men to find me_. Jamie shuddered at this, remembering the shadows and voices from his dream, thinking sleep would be hard to find after that.

But that night, lying in his warm bed, Jamie found it hard to feel any apprehension about falling asleep. With barely a mumbled "G'night" to Raven, Jamie was out.

*~*~*~*~*

__

He opened his eyes to a room completely devoid of any defining characteristics, aside from its blazing white walls. No one must live in here_, Jamie thought sardonically, _These walls would be too hard to keep this blindingly clean if there were actually people in here on a regular basis_. That though made Jamie wonder. _Was_ there anyone else in here? And where was _here_? _

Through his bleary dream-filled eyes, Jamie could not see much, but he was not sure there was much to see. He turned his head to the side to look around him and was greeted by the man from before.

"Awake now, are we? I must say, you choose odd hours." 

Jamie's face contorted in a mask of fright and he pressed his back against the white wall. The supportive surface gave him little strength. What did the man want? Why was he keeping him in this room?

"Calm down, Jamie. There is no need for alarm." The man still sat in his chair, calm as ever and trying his best to force this tranquil lull over Jamie as well.

"No! What are you doing keeping me here like this?! I demand to be set free! Let me out of this room!"

The man hung his head, as if he was dealing with a simple problem that Jamie could not see the obvious answer to. "I am unable to let you go, Jamie; for your safety as well as the safety of those around us. I explained this when you first came and your constant fainting fits do not quicken your departure from this room."

"What do you mean? I don't understand." Jamie had a look of complete and utter confusion of his face. What is he talking about_?_

"As long as your mutant abilities are completely uncontrollable and you don't cooperate with us in our efforts to help you, you will remain here."

The words struck Jamie, taking his breath away. Mutant…powers_? Jamie felt the sense of reality slipping away from him as he woke with a start in Raven's hotel room._

The dream stayed with him, as did the ominous sense that these dreams were more portentous than the subconscious ramblings of a worried mind.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

TAA-DAA!!!

Well now it's time to sleep, yawn…11:34 and a big Quintet to mess up in tomorrow! Skipperdee! 

Hope you take the time to tell me if you thought it was worth continuing even after ya'll though I abandoned it…hehehe tricked ya…

Oh and if you have been influenced to read The Once and Future King because of my incessant whining or will read it at some point in the future let me know…I like to know if my plan for world domination is working…did I say that out loud?


	7. Morgan of the Fairies

Well!!! I got another one out…eventually. It's back to school for me and I can't stand it. Oh well…there's another vacation coming up soon…just another month and a half or so…I can make it!!! Just pull through!!!

So on with the fic, huh? After making you wait each time I should at least let you read, so I will.

Disclaimer!!! I think this disclaimer takes more creative thought than the entire story…*sigh* If I owned X-Men:…

Rogue and Gambit would run off together to learn the wonders that was their other selves (southern and Creole respectively), Jean would die (very simple) and phoenix would never again appear (much harder), Bobby would be put on defrost in the microwave for about thirty minutes (crispy), Kurt would realize the holiday season is over and Santa doesn't need more help (but the monks do!), Mystique would stumble over her comic book self as well while stalking Rogue (bad mom! Don't you trust her? True, you _shouldn't_ trust Gambit…), Spike would have an…unfortunate accident (that's gotta hurt), and Toad would regain his intelligence rather than be the stupid amphibian we all know from the cartoon (toads have brains too…even if they're small).

Whew! It gets longer every time…

And thanks to Abbie Soler Star who reviewed every single chapter so far! Many cookies and Jamie plushies to you and Dolly! And perhaps you shouldn't strangle Jamie so, Dolly. If he loses circulation to his toes he might lose them for good and then where would we be? I'd have to write about a Jamie with poor balance and flawed feet, that's where!

And thanks to all my other reviewers! You guys really warm my heart! 

*~*~*~*

Morgan of the Fairies

Jamie could not sleep anymore that night. He rested his head on the pillow and stared at a crack in the ceiling. The dream had unsettled him. There was no room for rest in his mind, now that all was in turmoil.

__

Mutant? Me? It was an endless refrain running through Jamie's mind. This dream was not so easy to rationalize away as the previous had been. There was a quality to it that left a sinking feeling in his chest. 

After the first faint signs of morning began to turn the pitch black night into a more bearable gray, Jamie decided to read his book. With all the activity of the past few nights, there had not been much time to think, let alone read.

Turning back the pages and creating a new crease in the bent and broken spine, Jamie began:

__

"Well," he said, "suppose that Morgan is queen of he fairies, or at any rate has to do with them, and that fairies are not the kind of creatures your nurse has told you about. Some people say they are the Oldest of All, who lived in England before the Romans came here – before us Saxons, before the Old Ones themselves – and that they have been driven underground. Some say they look like humans, like dwarfs, and others that they look ordinary, and others that they don't look like anything at all, but put on various shapes as the fancy takes them. Whatever they look like, they have the knowledge of the ancient Gaels. They know things down there in their burrows which the human race has forgotten about, and quite a lot of these things are not good to hear."

"Whisper," said the golden lady, with a strange look, and the boys noticed the little circle had drawn closer together.

"Well now," said Robin, lowering his voice, "the thing about these creatures that I am speaking of, and if you excuse me I won't name them again, is that they have no hearts. It is not so much that they wish to do evil, but that if you were to catch one and cut it open, you would find no heart inside. They are cold-blooded like fishes."

As Jamie read, the morning swelled into life. He heard rustling from the bed beside his and noticed Raven turning in her sleep. Her hair stuck out at odd angles and there was a pained expression on her face. Apparently Jamie was not the only one with bad dreams. He put down the book for a moment to study her face. He had never really looked at her closely before.

Her eyebrows were knit together and her eyes clamped shut. Her skin was pale, almost a bluish-white. Her lips were thin and pressed together tightly, adding to the sense of unease she must have been feeling. He wondered whether or not he should disturb her and end this dream, or let it work its way out. His mother had often held his head in her arms and hummed a soothing melody to chase away his nightmares. Somehow he wasn't sure if that approach would be acceptable to Raven. So he settled for just the song.

It had been a while since his mother had come to see him at nights, and even longer since Harold had begun yelling at him for his bouts of midnight frights. It had been so long since his mother had even said good-night to him. So long…

When was the last time his mother had acted like his mother? Harold's constant shouting fits and brutal behavior had rendered a statue in her accustomed place. It was such a lonely world with a statue for a mother. What love can one find from stone or ice? With an eye blackened so many times, she turned it blind, and Jamie became nothing to her, nothing more than a speck of dust upon the boot of Harold.

But that was past now, as Jamie tried to remember. That was all in the past, and only the present matters anymore. Who knows what tomorrow will bring; to him, today was what counted. Today he was in a hotel room on a soft bed, listening to the sounds of Raven sleeping. Nothing more could cement his decision that it had been the right action to take, even if it had led to an encounter with mutants.

__

Mutants…The word sent his mind on that circular road once again back to last night's dream. _Could the dreams be right? Is there something more behind the strange occurrences over the past few days? I hope not,_ he thought frantically. _What would Raven say if she found out?_

Thinking of his friend, Jamie looked over to her bed, only to see a pair of eyes staring back at him. 

"What were you humming?" she asked, a faintly perplexed expression on her face.

"I- I'm not sure," he answered, still taken aback by the suddenness of her waking. "My mother always sang it to me when I had nightmares. Your dreams didn't look too nice."

She looked as if she was remembering something from ages ago, peering into space as a seer might do for a vision of years past. At length she turned back to Jamie, looking at him with clouded eyes. "I used to know that song," was all she said.

There was a moment of silence as Raven's eyes slowly came back into focus and she realized with a start what time it was. "Oh! It's already nine o' clock! You shouldn't have let me sleep this late, now we'll never get out in time to beat the traffic." She sprung from her bed and busied herself around the room, pulling sheets and blankets together off the floor where they had fallen and bustling around the dresser where her meager supplies were stored. 

Jamie watched her move, remembering how his own mother had been so like her before Harold. She was always up and active, whether in the kitchen or the yard or even in his father's shop, helping to sand the wood and cut the planks. She was like a flame, always fluttering this way and that.

Raven though, was more like water. She flowed from one spot to another with a grace that was as unnerving as it was unnatural. It was as though she could not be pinned down to one spot.

She turned to him at one point and said, in a playful voice, "Let's go, Jamie! I'll leave you behind if you like that bed so much!" He smiled a wistful smile and rolled out of the covers. 

Raven had outlined the journey they were in for. It would involve participating in the _one_ activity his mother had always forbid him from considering.

Hitchhiking. Even thinking about it thrilled Jamie. Perhaps it was all the terrifying stories his mother used to tell him about little boys and girls just like him who had never returned from catching rides with strangers. Or perhaps it was the newness of making his own decisions independent from his mother. Whatever it was, Jamie was sure everything would work out alright; after all Raven was watching out for him and she promised everything would be ok.

He wasn't sure exactly what it was about her, but Raven's mere presence calmed him. He saw in her the mother he had lost and, although he knew it was foolish and a lie, he enjoyed every minute of it. Which was why he happily agreed to disobey his mother's wishes and accept rides from strangers.

__

Raven was a stranger and she_ was safe_, Jamie thought. 

It was already late morning by the time Raven and Jamie checked out of the hotel and were making their way to the road to flag down their ride. It was a short wait before finally a car slowed down and pulled to the side of the worn and beaten road. The window rolled down to reveal a man in his early fifties, or so Jamie guessed, sitting behind the wheel and noisily chewing a stick of gum. Jamie sincerely hoped he would tire of the gum before long. He wasn't sure he could stand four hours of that noise.

"Are you headed towards the city?" Raven asked. She leaned over the car and spoke to him through the open window. 

The man eyed her critically before responding "Sure. Hop in." Raven opened the door and seated herself regally in the passenger seat. She had a way of commanding attention and respect in every place she entered. This car was no different. Jamie settled himself into the back seat; his eyes were glued on Raven.

There was silence in the car until the man opened his mouth. "The boy yours?" he asked. It was obviously all he could think of to start a conversation. Raven simply turned to look at him, replying with a simple "Yes" before staring straight ahead again. It was obvious she was not in the conversational mood.

And so the first hour of their trip passed in silence. Jamie occupied himself by staring out the grimy window at the passing rock formations. _It must have taken a lot of energy to lay down this road in the middle of a chink of solid rock. Why didn't they just go around it?_

But even the thrilling sights became repetitive and monotonous after a while. He didn't _dare_ take out his book to read; especially sitting in the back seat of a rickety tin like this old car where every bump was magnified by at least a hundred times and he could feel every dip in the road like a crater. He remembered the _last_ time he tried that and had ruined the inside of Harold's car. It had not been a pleasant sight – for the car or for Jamie.

The man suddenly drove over an unexpected hole in the road causing Jamie to hit his head on the ceiling. Immediately sitting next to him were the multiples, each rubbing their heads in the exact same spot as Jamie was. There were three of them this time. Jamie quickly did the only thing he could think of and threw himself on top of them. He felt the now familiar sucking sensation as he reabsorbed the copies.

Not a minute too soon it had been either. Raven turned her head to the back only to find Jamie sprawled across the seat – a little dazed and heart pounding a bit too fast.

__

That was close, he thought. _Much too close. Next time she might see them_ (if they _are_ real, a small part of his mind said)_ and then what will happen? Nope can't let that happen. Better to just lie here where I can't hit my head on any _more_ things._

It was inevitable, thought, that Jamie drifted asleep while lying on the safety of the seat. For a broken down old car, its cushions were quite pleasant.

__

He opened his eyes slowly. The car made a nice bed; so nice that he didn't want to get up now.

Except that he was already sitting up.

And unless the trip had taken far longer than Raven had predicted, it should not be so dark.

Jamie tried to rub the sleep from his eyes but found he was strapped to a chair. Perhaps there was some truth in what his mother had told him after all! A frenzied panic began to erupt within him. He didn't want to die here! He wanted to get to Philadelphia! He wanted to live with his grandmother!

The sound of his panicked breathing brought the sound of footsteps. There was a click and then the world erupted in light. It was familiar. It was the room from before, the one with the man who spoke of mutants.

He hadn't been in a chair before! Why was he tied down now? The footsteps came closer and s woman's face appeared next to him. He found himself staring into her eyes. They were green with flecks of color in their depths and suddenly Jamie found it hard to be so frightened. 

"Who are you?" he asked. She was a new one in his dreams.

"Rogue." Her answer was simple. She wasn't accustomed to being detailed in her responses. There was something about her that reminded him of Raven; perhaps her directness or the unexplainable lack of fear he had around her.

"Why are you here?"

"The professuh tol' me it was my turn ta keep watch." Living in Maine, Jamie didn't often hear accents such as hers. It was welcoming and pleasant.

"Why do you have to keep watch? I'm not going anywhere."

"Don' ask me. Whatever he says, goes." She stared at him intently. "Why are you_ here?"_

"Didn't your professor tell you? Cause I certainly don't know." Jamie had hoped to ask her that as a next question. It seemed she had no idea either.

"He just don' understand you. You spend all day quiet as a mouse, lookin' like you're dead or somethin', and then Bam! you're talkin' and movin' around. We've dealt with enough crazy ones we picked up before that he's decided to keep you here_ for now rather than out and about."_

"But where is here?"

"Professuh Xavier's Institute for the Gifted." 

Gifted at what? _Jamie thought. _Criminal abductions?_ But he didn't dare say it. She seemed nice, but she was after all guarding him while he was strapped to a chair. It didn't seem like a wise choice._

He began to feel lightheaded and the room around him started to fade. He faintly heard Rogue's voice calling him, as though from hundreds of miles away.

"Jamie?" Pause. "Jamie?" And then she was too far away from him where he lay on the car cushions.

The early afternoon sun filtering into the car was nice after the false white light of the dream-room. He never remembered having dreams this real before in all his years. But then again, he never remembered multiples in all his life either. And they had started appearing as well.

Jamie looked up to find Raven looking at him from the passenger's seat, and she didn't seem to realize the smile that tugged at her lips as she had watched the sleeping Jamie. Her eyes were far away again and although she looked straight at him, her eyes did not see Jamie at all. She was peering through time and memory.

Jamie wondered what she could possibly be remembering. Her students? Did she have children somewhere? It seemed a bittersweet memory and the smile saddened Jamie. His mother often had that same smile when she stood in his father's old shop. It was the smile of something lost but still dear.

The man cleared his throat, breaking the moment like glass. Raven's eyes shot around, flashing at the disturbance. 

"This is the end of the road for me. It's not far to the city from here."

Raven nodded, accepting that this part of the ride was through for now. Jamie stretched his arms, waiting to be rid of the old broken car. Although, he _would_ miss those cushions…

The car pulled to the side of the road. Raven stepped out as regally as she had entered, never losing her poise. Jamie stumbled out and was not embarrassed. Four hours in the car in the cramped back seat was not beneficial to his legs. Oh, how they hurt!

Raven and Jamie watched the man pull away, the figure receding into the horizon.

"I know some people who live about thirty minutes away from here. I was going to spend the night with them. Is that alright with you?" 

Jamie decided not to state what he was thinking (_Of course! I'm sticking with you! I've trusted you so far and I plan to keep doing so!)_ and answered with "Sure" instead. It was perhaps the wiser of the two.

And so woman and boy waited patiently for their next ride; a humble carriage to carry them away to the town of Bayville.


	8. Not the Geese

Oy, Fanfiction.net is not working tonight so I am forced to amuse myself otherwise…Good for you bad for me…

Anyway, Happy New Chapter! I'm so tired right now after proofreading the darn thing and revising it and not getting any sleep all week and now it's two o'clock and I really should ponder an earlier bedtime. Oh well.

Disclaimer: It's getting too long to keep writing snide little comments about everyone, but basically X-Men Evolution would not resemble itself if _I_ actually owned it rather than just borrowing for my own devious purposes. Yeah, if I did own it though, those new recruits (who really aren't new anymore) would get a whole _heck_ of a lot more air time. That includes the wondrous Jamie. Undoubtedly. Indubitably. Savvy, mate?

*~*~*~*~*~*

Not The Geese

Jamie stared in wonder at the building. He had never seen anything in such a state of disrepair. The shutters lay about the building, torn from their windows as if by some great monster and thrown to the ground. The paint was peeling like dried skin. And with the mold that grew on every surface, Jamie could not tell what the original color had been intended to be. It was at the moment a sort of greenish, yellow-y white. 

__

Raven has friends in there_?_ Jamie though, apprehensive to enter the demolished building.

"Come, Jamie. It won't fall on your head. The people who live here aren't the most attentive caretakers, but the house will keep for now." She offered a hand and Jamie accepted it. He drew strength from her nearness and was more willing to pass through the entrance while there was a physical connection between them.

The first sound that reached his ears was the unmistakable noise of shouting. It was high and shrill; a woman's voice. As it approached, Jamie could see it emanated from a thin, blonde girl who was busy shoving two boys down a staircase ahead of her. She was completely oblivious to the two guests. The matter at hand seemed to be of much more importance.

"Lance, that is the _last_ time you _ever_ play your stupid jokes on me again! If I ever seen you even in the same _hallway_ as my room, I will personally assure you that you never see another sunrise!"

The one Jamie assumed to be Lance was cringing under her fiery gaze. She grasped a fistful of his collar in her right hand and squeezed her grip tighter. He made a few gurgling sounds, signaling he was having respiratory difficulties.

She turned her attention to the boy whose collar she held in her other hand. He, too, was making slight choking noises. "And Toad! Take a bath. Immediately. You reek, and now everything in this house smells like you. I can't wake up to your stench one more day without going insane."

With a final shove, she released them from her grip and they scattered; Lance to plan further elaborate schemes, and the one named Toad to ponder whether he remembered how to bathe in the first place.

No one had noticed their arrival, though they stood in the doorway for another five minutes. Raven cleared her throat. It was lost in the activity of the house. Noise came from everywhere. Sounds echoed down from further upstairs, or from the kitchen, or the living room. The very walls themselves seemed to moan with their own voice.

She cleared he throat again, louder this time. It wasn't until the boy Lance walked by that she was noticed.

"Hey, Pietro! Have you seen my - " He paused. His eyes widened at the sight of Raven.

"M-Mystique? Is that you?" His voice caught in his throat and a look of terror crossed his face.

"Hello, Lance. I trust my room is still unoccupied?" Her voice was no longer the reassuring, welcoming presence it had been previously.

__

Mystique?

Lance stuttered incoherently. Jamie wasn't sure what was going on but he was certain he had missed something very vital to the conversation.

There was a breeze on his face as a silver blur passed through Jamie's vision. It was so familiar. Something important…Something he should remember. 

That night when the bus was attacked. He had seen that silver streak during the fight, with the muties.

"Raven," he whispered. She must not have realized that these friends of hers were dangerous. They had to get out before the mutants got them! He tugged urgently on her hand.

Her eyes never left Lance as the youth babbled on, now joined by the second figure who had been the silver blur. Her face was cold and hard. Raven was not the same person who had joked with him this morning and listened to his stories yesterday. She may have looked that same but underneath her skin was a stranger. Jamie suddenly realized how little he really knew about her. He had blindly followed her and now he was alone in a house of mutants with a complete stranger.

His mother would have said "_I told you so!"_ if it had not been such a horrible situation.

"Raven!" he whispered louder, a hint of desperation leaking into his voice. Raven's head turned only a fraction. She still stared at the boys.

He leaned in close to her and said in a low voice, "Raven, they're muties! We have to get out of here!"

Apparently it was not quiet enough for the two boys to not hear. They burst out laughing, despite their obvious fear of Raven's arrival. She even had a faint smile on her lips; a cruel smirk.

"Yeah, we're _muties_," Lance said. He had stopped laughing but shared Raven's horrible grin. "You have a problem with us?" he spat. Unbelievably, his eyes rolled back in his head as though he was having some sort of a fit.

The house began to shake and Jamie's worst fears came to pass. _The wreck _was_ collapsing on top of them_! He turned his worried eyes up to the ceiling only to see a large chunk of roof falling towards him.

The last thought that passed through Jamie's mind before he passed out was _Raven knew._

He woke some time later to the small white room. Rogue was there again. She was painting her nails a somber shade of black and was so completely engrossed in her task that she did not notice his revival.

"Hi," he croaked and she jumped slightly in surprise. 

"Hi, Jamie. How are ya today?" She gave him a smile and Jamie instantly felt better.

"Ok, I guess. When can I get out of here?" It may just be a dream but Jamie still didn't want to spend all his sleep time in this one room. Then again, it might not be a dream and in that case he most definitely _did not want to stay here._

"When ya stop behavin' like a crazy nut. Where do ya go when you fall asleep? Ya can't possibly be dreamin' all that time. One person can simply not _sleep as many hours a day as_ you _do and still come up with new dreams."_

"I don't dream when I fall asleep here," he explained. "This is my dream, or at least I thought so." Jamie wasn't sure what was real anymore. Everything seemed so twisted and inconceivable.

"Really? So what's yer real life laike, if this is where ya go ta dream?"

"It's weird and messed up. There are mutants and normal people and I'm having problems figuring out who's who. I thought I could trust someone I met but now it turns out she's just been leading my straight to the mutants. I don't understand what happened. And now I'm asleep after I was hit on the head by a piece of the roof of some house and I already think I have a serious head injury cause I keep seeing people who shouldn't be there and I'm not sure what's real anymore and what's the dream."

He looked at her, his confusion evident on his face. "I just don't understand anything."

"What's wrong with the mutants?" She was curious now. She had put the nail polish down for good. He had her full attention.

"They attacked my bus. They hurt a lot of innocent people. They caused a lot of unnecessary pain. There is no reason to trust the mutants. They're all bad." Jamie only then realized who he was talking to. His voice caught in his throat and he stammered an apology before she ripped his head _from his shoulders._

"I-I'm really s-sorry! I-I didn't m-mean t-to insult you l-like that!"

"We're not all laike that Jamie." Her face was dark. "Ah wasn't always nice but Ah changed. Everyone here could be yer friend. They don't laike ta hurt people; they try ta stop others from doing that."

"Then where were you when a whole bus was blown off the road, huh? Why does everyone still hate mutants if you try so hard to be nice? You're no different from them – Lance and that other one. And Raven."

"What'd ya say?" Her green eyes sparkled with incredulity. "Did ya just say 'Lance'?"

"Yeah…He was one of the mutants Raven brought me to meet. Him and some other guy were both at the bus when it crashed. And Raven was there and she helped me escape and I trusted her and now I'm stuck in a big mess." Jamie felt so miserable with himself.

"You – you said the roof fell on you?" She could barely contain her anticipation.

"Yeah, that's the last thing I remember. That and Lance having some fit or something. His eyes rolled back in his head and he didn't look well at all. Next thing I knew the whole house was shaking and a big chunk fell on my head." 

"Do ya think that Lance coulda done it; since they were mutants and all?" 

"It could have been him but there were other people in the place that could have been mutants." Raven could have even been a mutant, he thought. _That idea greatly disturbed him._

"Jamie, Ah think Ah know where ya go when ya leave here. Ya're stayin' with a bunch of idiot guys Ah unfortunately know. And ya're raght; they are pretty rotten, though not the worst Ah've seen. And Raven must be…" Her eyes turned cold.

"You know Raven?"

"Yes." In that single syllable was all the hurt and betrayal Jamie felt, and more. She knew Raven, no doubt about that. "Ah'm sorry ya ever _had to meet her."_

Jamie felt even worse that Raven had betrayed someone else. He had trusted her and it turns out she routinely crushes people's faith in her. It definitely stung.

"Look, Jamie, you gotta trust me. Ya're a mutant, the professa already told ya that, but ya can't forget. And ya can't forget that not everyone is laike Mystique and those guys. She almost got me that way and Ah won't let her try it on you. Promise me ya won't let her?"

Jamie wasn't sure if he could make a promise like that to her. He wasn't sure who to trust anymore. He wasn't sure he could even trust himself after the mess he had made with Raven.

"I-I don't know. I just --"

But the room was fading. Slowly his mind was floating back to his reality where he could hear the soft humming of a woman. It was the tune his mother had sang to him ages before. It was the song he had sung for Raven. 

He would have to make a decision soon, and somehow he must find out the truth about Raven. 

He was not going to let her trick him again.

*~*~*~*~*~*

So there you go, chapter eight. Never thought I'd get this far. It would amaze me sooooo much more if I wasn't dead-tired. I leave you now to sleep, goodnight…or morning, whatever floats your boat.

Don't forget to review. Reviews are like the hundred points extra credit on an exam which you are positively certain you failed with flying colors. Make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Please help me attain that state of happiness.


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